


Roommates in Quarantine – Malec

by ChangeGirlYuki



Series: Roommates in Quarantine [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Parents, Age Difference, Coming Out, Doctor Magnus Bane, E-mail, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Hospitals, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Malec, Minor Injuries, Phone Calls & Telephones, Protective Magnus Bane, Protective Raphael, Quarantine, Student Alec Lightwood, Texting, Virus, Wrong number, wrong e-mail address
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:33:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24218191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangeGirlYuki/pseuds/ChangeGirlYuki
Summary: While trying to reach his teacher, Alec messes up the e-mail adddress and gets to know a Doctor Magnus Bane instead. And since this is a Malec-Fic, they keep talking and just when Magnus is about to confess that he's crushing on Alec, Alec's shitty parents get in the way. I suck at summaries, sorry.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Roommates in Quarantine [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683892
Comments: 10
Kudos: 154





	Roommates in Quarantine – Malec

**Author's Note:**

> Another first for my RiQ-series. I hope you like it :)

Roommates in Quarantine – Malec

*Disclaimer: I don’t own Shadowhunters, not the show or the original books. No money is made with this, I live off kudos and comments. Enjoy*

*******************************

(A/N: All the e-mail addresses and phone numbers are made up by me.)

From: alight@institute.com

To: mbane@crossmail.com

Topic: Homework

Dear Mr. Bane,

I am in your anatomy class this semester and I have a technical problem with this week's homework. I am aware that most of the students at the Institute use a Macbook, but that doesn't mean you can expect everyone to do so. The task you gave us this week requires a special feature only those kind of computers have. However, I am sorry but I can't buy an entire new computer just for one homework. Seeing as I won't be able to do said homework to it's full extend now, I hope that you will understand and maybe let us do a task with different options for solving it.

Yours sincerely,

A. Lightwood

+

From: mbane@crossmail.com

To: alight@institute.com

Topic: Re: Homework

Dear Mr. Lightwood,

I am afraid that you got the wrong e-mail address when trying to reach your teacher. I am Mr. Bane but since I'm a doctor and not a teacher in any way at the moment, I doubt that you tried to reach me. Good luck with getting a grip on your teacher, he seems to be quite a douche if he gives homework only half of his students can hand in.

Yours sincerely,

Magnus Bane

+

From: alight@institute.com

To: mbane@crossmail.com

Topic: Apologies

Dear Mr. Bane,

I apologize for disturbing you with my e-mail. Thank you for pointing my mistake out to me though, otherwise I would have probably waited for ages for a reply.

Yours sincerely,

Alexander Lightwood

+

From: mbane@crossmail.com

To: alight@institute.com

Topic: What the hell?

The hell did you do that for, Cat? I love you but I will never ever cover your shift in the ER again. It was the most of pain in the ass I've recently experienced and by that I don't mean the fun kind. So please choose one of your other friends next time, I beg you.

Also, here’s my new number, so stop harassing me on my mail account.

353-593400-098

Yours,

Magnus

+

From: alight@institute.com

To: mbane@crossmail.com

Topic: Re: What the hell?

Hello Mr. Bane (Magnus),

I'll use this chance and repay the favor of yours. This time you got the wrong address, even though I can't come up with an e-mail address that is close to your friend's name and to mine as well... anyway, I'm sorry you seemed to have a bad day. Hopefully it gets better for you soon.

Sincerely,

Alec Lightwood.

+

From: mbane@crossmail.com

To: alight@institute.com

Topic: Sorry Alexander

Dear Alec,

I apologize to you for sending such an awful text to you. You're right, it's been a rather tough shift yesterday. You're also right about how there seems to be no connection between Cat and alight@institute.com, trust me though, there is one.

So let me thank you for your kind wishes, I hope you have a good day as well. And if you ever want to rant about something, feel free to use that phone number you have now. That'd only be fair, I think.

Greetings,

Magnus

P.S. I think we're on first name basis now that you read my swears.

*****************************

Groaning, Magnus stretched his back and winced when his bones popped back into places with loud creaking sounds.

“My, are you getting old now, Bane?”, his friend teased and grinned tiredly at him from behind her mug.

“You’re one to talk. I swear I heard you whining about your neck all the way from the parking lot”, he shot back. Cat rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. Neither of them was a fan of working at the ER, especially when it was the night shift. Those were always harder, especially with the current situations. The world wide quarantine brought out the worst from people these days. Many didn’t care about the safety of others or their own and met up on secret parties, drinking and being reckless. And when they had too much, they got dropped off at the ER for Magnus and his colleagues to put them back together.

“I’ll be out now”, Magnus said, picking up his jacket. “See you tomorrow?”

“Sure. Be safe”, Cat nodded, waving goodbye at him.

On his way to his car, Magnus’ phone rang. He ignored it though, suspecting that they tried to call him back to work for another emergency case (it had happened before). Though his phone rang all the way home and when it didn’t stop, Magnus gave in and picked up on the unknown number.

“What?”, he said, not really in the mood to talk to anyone, seeing as it was almost midnight by now.

“Magnus?”, an also unknown voice asked, causing Magnus to frown.

“Yes? Who’s there?”, Magnus said, dropping his jacket on the couch. He must have hit one of his cats by that, because a hissing ball of fur dashed off from under his clothing article and down the hallway.

“Uhm… it’s Alec...”, the voice said and it took Magnus a while to connect the information. Alec and the student who had e-mailed him about a week ago while trying to reach his teacher.

“Right, sorry. I thought you were one of my colleagues trying to get me back to work when I just got home”, Magnus apologized, smiling a little. This was way better then what he’d imagined. And Alec had a nice voice. Not too deep but also not like many of those young students who seemed to still be pre puberty.

“Oh...”, Alec said, voice muffled a little.

“Don’t worry about it”, Magnus said, pulling off his shoes and sitting down onto his couch. “Now, is there any specific reason you called me or did you just miss me swearing?”

“… well, you said I could call you”, Alec said defensively.

“And I mean it”, Magnus assured.

“Good.”

Magnus laughed softly. “Good.”

For a moment, there was silence and Magnus could tell that Alec would hang up soon. He had to admit that this was kinda awkward, but somehow he enjoyed it. It was not how he usually got to know people, but what was ‘normal’ these days anyway? Besides, he doubted that this Alec-guy was that type of a person to meet at the places Magnus used to frequent.

“So, did you reach that teacher of yours?”

“Yeah, I did. Took him a day to answer me though… and then he kicked me out of his class.”

Magnus’ eyes widened and he sat up straight. “What?”

“You heard right. He said that if I couldn’t keep up with his class and if I wasn’t willing to invest a little into my education, I choose the wrong class”, Alec said bitterly.

“I hope you reported that ass”, Magnus hissed, not able to control himself. He had had a bad feeling about this when he had read Alec’s first e-mail, but this topped everything he’d imagined.

“Izzy, my sister, said that I should… but what’s the point? I mean, what if the other’s are even worse?”

Magnus could hear the resignation and sadness even through the phone and it made his heart ache in his chest. This young man was a bright light, he was sure of it. He had manners, he put thoughts into what he did and minded the people around him. Why did it sound like he was giving up now?

“You won’t know if you don’t try”, Magnus said. Alec huffed.

“I know. But I also… look, I already put so much effort into getting into this class. And it wasn’t even the best one offered. If I report that guy and he has to accept me back, I don’t think I’ll survive that class. Or any future lessons I might be forced to take with him. Besides…”, Alec stopped and Magnus wasn’t sure but he thought that Alec might be fighting with tears.

“Besides… It took me so much to get my parents into letting me study at the Institute. You know, they wanted me to study either medicine or law. I don’t want to give up now, I really don’t but I don’t know what to do. I could try to get into a different class but the semester is almost halfway over and I can’t afford to waste one, a-and...” and now, Alec was really crying.

“Alec… Alexander, stop”, Magnus interrupted, voice firm. “I understand, it’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me, okay?”

“Y-yeah…”, Alec said, voice small and thick with tears.

“I’m not gonna tell you what to do and I’m not going to trying to get you to do something you don’t want. I’m not your teacher and I’m not your father. I’m your friend, understood?”

“I understand”, Alec said and Magnus could hear him clear his throat.

“And before you start apologizing, I told you to contact me if you wanted to, remember?”

“You did.”

Magnus smiled and got up to get himself a drink. “Good. How about I just listen and you tell me everything right from the beginning?”

“You sure? It might ruin your evening.”

“Seeing as it is already past midnight, it’ll take you a couple hours before you get to ruin my evening”, Magnus teased. “But yes, I am sure. I’ll listen as long as you need me to.”

And that he did.

**************************

After that faithful evening, Alec and Magnus kept talking to each other. Alec had been very thankful for Magnus’ company that night and he had assured him that he didn’t mind. In fact, Magnus had enjoyed it very much, even though he wasn’t sure why exactly. Maybe it was his urge to protect or the feeling of being trusted… it wasn’t important. Important was that every new message or any call from Alexander Lightwood made his day. And Magnus didn’t know what to do about that.

“My diagnosis, Mr. Bane, you’re suffering from a heavy case of an Alec-crush”, Cat teased one morning before their shift began. Magnus huffed.

“So what if I have a crush on Alec? It’s not like I could ask him out on a date right now. Heck, it might take years for that to be an option as things are right now.”

Cat’s expression softened. “I know… but maybe you should tell him? I mean, if he’s not interested at all, you can at least… get that cleared before you fall too deep for him, right?”

“Right...”, Magnus sighed and rubbed his temple. Right. Because that was so easy…

*Time skip: late afternoon*

“Hey Mag!”, Alec said when he picked up the call, his voice sounding unusual cheerful.

“Someone’s in a good mood”, Magnus stated, taking a sip from his tea. He had decided that he’d do what his friend had suggested that morning. It sounded like a plan and it was better to just give it a shot then thinking about all the what-if’s.

“When you call, always”, Alec said and Magnus could hear the smile. “How was your day?”

“It was okay. Work was boring, Cat annoyed me… the usual. What about you?”

“Good. That new class is pretty interesting even though there are tons to catch up with. But I’ll just power through.”

“Sounds like a plan”, Magnus hummed. After their first conversation, Alec hat tried to change classes and had found a teacher who had mercy on Alec’s situation. It was not Alec’s dream class but it was a good one and he was thankful for that chance.

“Yeah. So Cat annoyed you? What was it this time, mocking your homeopath skills again?”

“Na. She thinks I’m having a crush on someone and she wants me to go ask him out despite that we couldn’t go on a date as things are.” There was a weird sound at the other end of the line and Magnus paused for a moment.

“Alec?”

“You… Magnus, are you gay?” Alec’s voice had changed and Magnus could swear the temperature dropped several degrees. He felt confused and anger was about to rise inside of him. He thought that Alec was a good man. He wouldn’t have taken him for one of those homophobic assholes.

“Yes, I am, Alec. Do you have a problem with it?”, Magnus asked rather coldly. He didn’t get an answer though, because the line went dead right away. Blinking in disbelief, Magnus stared at the device, his brain trying to process with the fact that Alec had just hung up on him.

*******************************

“Why are you still trying? From what you told me, it’s pretty obvious that he’s an ass and doesn’t want to have anything to do with you”, Raphael said, eyeing Magnus with worry. The younger man was a doctor himself and one of Magnus’ best friends ever since he had taken the younger man under his wing when he’d started working at Cross Hospital.

“I don’t know, Raphael… It’s just… I thought he was a good guy. I’ve never been this wrong about a personality before”, Magnus admitted, pocketing his phone after having send yet another unanswered text to the student.

“That’s not true. I’ll just mention Camille. Not saying that Alec is like Camille, nobody can top that one, but… look, he’s not answering you. That’s saying something, right? Please, ...”

Whatever the other doctor had been about to say got interrupted by a panicking nurse. “Doctor Bane! An emergency!”

“I’m coming”, Magnus said and waved goodbye to Rapahel, thankful that their conversation got interrupted. He tried to avoid talking about the failures of his past and his relationship with Camille was the cherry on top of that failure-cake.

“What is it?”, he asked the nurse on the way down the ER, trying to focus back on work and professionalism.

“Young man, nineteen years old. He’s got bruises allover his body and he’s unconscious. His sister brought him in, telling that his father beat him up. She’s having a split lip and a black eye herself but she won’t leave his side”, the nurse said and Magnus understood why she was this excited. Abusive parents weren’t their daily business, thank God.

“Okay, I’ll check him through. You go and call the authorities. And make sure someone comes to check the sister soon”, Magnus ordered and the nurse dashed off, leaving him alone. Pushing the curtain aside, Magnus found another nurse who filled in a file for the new patience.

“Lightwood”, the girl just said and Magnus froze. “Alexander Lightwood.”

She looked up at Magnus and he saw dried tears in her eyes. “Please, help my brother”, she pleaded, looking up at him with desperate eyes.

“Of course”, Magnus said, stepping closer and looking down at the young man on the bed. He was rather well build, dark eyes and a pretty face if not for the angry red bruises on his cheek. Was this his Alec? The guy he’d messaged and called and who apparently was a homophobic?

“Tell me what happened”, Magnus asked and started to run a checkup on the young man.

“I… I don’t really know, I was grocery shopping and when I got home, Alec and… father were having a fight. Something about Alec’s classes and that they had a deal. And when Alec said he didn’t do anything, father lost it and then everything went so fast… I just saw Alec fall and his head hit the table and then he didn’t move but he kept hitting him and kicked him in the stomach and… I didn’t know what to do!”

The curtain was pushed aside again and Raphael came up to them. “Hello, Ms. Lightwood. I’m Doctor Santiago. I’d like to check your eye while my colleague helps your brother, hm? I promise that Doctor Bane is one of our best.”

“Bane?”, the young woman asked, staring at Magnus. He nodded while he listened to Alec’s breathing. There was no doubt about who the man on his table was now.

“You’re Magnus? Magnus Bane?”, she kept asking even though she got up to follow Raphael.

“The one and only”, Raphael answered, trying to lead Alec’s sister away without actively touching her.

“So you’re the one Alec wouldn’t stop talking about.” Now that was one information. Raphael frowned but regained control rather fast. “Please, Ms. Let me help you now. Your brother is in good hands.”

She smiled and nodded. “I know. Alec said you’re a good guy.”

**************************

Alexander had a concussion but no internal bleeding. One of his rips were broken though. Magnus treated him and tried to stop the storm of thoughts inside of his head. Alec had talked about him? Had told his sister? Was that before he’d known that Magnus was gay? And what kind of deal did their father think Alec had broken?

Sighing, Magnus filled in the new data about Alec’s blood pressure and other things when a groan caused him to lift his head. Alec was waking up. For a moment, Magnus thought about calling a nurse to handle this but then he mentally kicked himself. He was not a coward. He was a doctor and Alec was his patient. And this might be his only chance to talk to Alec alone before his sister came back or his colleagues started to shield him from Alec.

“Alec?”, he asked, smiling when blinking eyes focused on him.

“Do you know what happened?”

A frown appeared between two nice dark eyebrows. “I… I was at home… is this… hospital?”, his voice was the same, even though pretty hoarse.

“Yes, you’re at Cross Hospital. Your sister brought you here. She’s getting treatment right now but don’t worry, she’s okay. Nothing serious”, Magnus assured when Alec made motions of getting out of his bed.

“What happened?”, Alec asked, looking up at Magnus. Oh, the other really was a beauty. Too bad his personality seemed so rotten.

“Your sister mentioned you got into a fight with your father. He beat you up because of a deal you seemed to have broken?”

Alec’s hands clenched into fists. “That bastard’s lying!”

“Do you mind if I ask what your fight was about?”, Magnus asked, sitting down on Alec’s bed. Alec didn’t answer though and when Magnus followed his line of view, he found that Alec had read his name tag. Wide dark eyes stared at Magnus in shock.

“M-mag?”, Alec asked, staring.

“Alexander.”

“Oh God”, Alec groaned and buried his face in his hands, not minding the bruises even though the gesture must hurt quite some.

Well, this was not a panicking homophobic. This looked more like… shame and embarrassment? Huh…

“Do you want to talk about it?”, Magnus pried softly and, before he could resist, reached out and put his hand on Alec’s shoulder. Before Alec could answer though, their sister came back and their chance was over.

**********************

Alec had to stay at the hospital while his sister reported their father. Apparently this wasn’t the first time the man had raised his hand against his family. He wouldn’t get another chance though. Magnus fear about them not getting another chance for a private talk was confirmed as well. His friends tried to keep him away and if they weren’t, Isabelle Lightwood was fussing over her brother. It was rather frustrating but one night, Magnus’ patience paid out. When Magnus put away some paper work at the counter, he heard someone approach the desk and clear their throat. Looking up, Magnus came face to face with one Alec. The bruises on his face had started to fade and his concussion was gone as well.

“Alec, how are you? Do you need anything?”, Magnus asked, stepping closer.

“Are you avoiding me?”, Alec asked instead. Magnus raised one of his brows.

“No, I’m not. But seeing as you hung up on me the other day and didn’t explain anything at all, my friends and I had to come to the conclusion that you were a homophobic prick and now they try to keep you away from me”, Magnus explained honestly. Alec flinched and looked away. One arm wrapped around his broken rip cage.

“I’m sorry”, Alec said, looking back up at Magnus with eyes full of emotion. “It’s really not like that.”

“Well, if you’d explain, please? I’m very desperate for this story to be honest”, Magnus said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“I… okay. But maybe not here?”, Alec said, looking around the open room as if he feared that someone would walk by any second. Nodding, Magnus lead him into the staff room. This was the best he could do, he was on shift after all.

“I told you that my parents wanted me to either study law or medicine, right?”, Alec started, looking back and forth between his hands and Magnus’ face.

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, that’s not the whole truth. My parents didn’t mean to let me study art at all but when I kept arguing, … my father proposed a deal to me. I’d get to study art at the Institute, if I gave up on something else.”

Magnus frowned. What was that supposed to mean? “What did they want you to give up on?”

Alec bit his lip and hesitated but then his eyes lit up in determination. “He said that I’d either study what they suggest or give up on being gay.”

Magnus mouth fell open and he blinked. He truly hadn’t seen that coming. “What?”

“I’ve never been in a relationship before but somehow my parents found out that I like men and that was a complete no-go. They tried their best to… help me get straight. When that didn’t work, it was either studying what they want and give up on art or give up on… that. If I’d tried, they’d have kicked me out. Or killed me as it seems”, Alec explained bitterly, a single tear rolling down his cheeks.

“But… your fight?”

Alec snorted, wiping that tear away angrily. “My father was snooping my phone.”

And oh, now everything clicked into place. About Alec telling his sister about Mag, about him ignoring Magnus, about… wait a second.

“So your only problem with me being gay was that it’d be a deal breaker? Or was it your crush on me?”, Magnus asked, trying to prove his theory.

“W-what?”

Magnus got up from his chair and kneed down in front of Alec. “You like me, don’t you? That’s why you ignored be because you were afraid of breaking that deal?”

Alec blushed furiously but he nodded. “Besides, you already have someone.”

“I do?”

Alec nodded again. “You said you’re having a crush on some guy, remember?” And the pout that came along with the little outburst was just adorable.

“I remember. That is true, however I didn’t get the chance to tell you that said guy is actually named Alexander Lightwood”, Magnus confessed, smiling up at Alec and watched how the information sunk in.

“What?”, Alec whispered, staring at Magnus again.

“You heard right, Alexander. I like you and I’d love to get to know you better and see where this takes us. If you’re up for it.”

Alec hesitated and Magnus could watch the inner battle in his eyes. And for a moment, he asked himself if he really wanted to do this, to help Alec out of this closet, help him fight his parents and the things beat into him all these years. But one look at the young man told him that yes, he wanted this very much. He wanted to be with Alec. And the small smile that spread over Alec’s face and the way he slowly took Magnus’ hand told him everything he needed to know.

*End!*

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave me some feedback and stay safe :)


End file.
